Diamante poem: format, examples and how to write one

The diamante (say dee-uh-MAHN-tay; the word is Italian for diamond) is a classroom favorite because it teaches parts of speech while producing a poem that looks good on the page. American teacher and author Iris Tiedt introduced the form in 1969. A diamante does not rhyme and does not count syllables. It counts words, and it asks for a specific kind of word on each line.

The diamante format

That is 16 words in all. The lines are centered, so the poem widens to line 4 and then narrows again, which gives it the diamond shape. Line 4 is the hinge: its first half still belongs to the opening subject, and its second half already belongs to the closing one. In a synonym diamante, subject A and subject B are the same thing.

Two kinds of diamante

An antonym diamante moves from one thing to its opposite: day to night, summer to winter, whisper to shout. The first noun and the last noun are opposites, and the poem changes direction in the middle of line 4.

A synonym diamante stays with one subject the whole way down. The first and last nouns name the same thing, such as cat and feline, and every line describes that one subject from a slightly different angle.

Diamante poem examples

Look at line 4 in the first example. Coffee and buses belong to the morning; pillows and crickets belong to the night. A reader feels the day turning over right in the middle of the poem. That smooth handoff is what separates a strong diamante from a list of words.

How to write a diamante, step by step

1. Choose your type: two opposites (antonym) or one subject (synonym).
2. Write the first noun on line 1 and the last noun on line 7. For an antonym diamante, make sure they are true opposites.
3. Make two brainstorm lists, one for each noun: describing words, actions and related things.
4. Fill line 2 with two adjectives and line 3 with three -ing verbs for the first noun.
5. Fill line 6 with two adjectives and line 5 with three -ing verbs for the last noun.
6. Write line 4: two nouns linked to the first subject, then two linked to the last. This is where the poem turns.
7. Center every line, then read the poem from top to bottom to check that it changes smoothly.

Good pairs of opposites to try

• Day and night, sunrise and sunset, morning and evening
• Summer and winter, spring and fall
• Sun and moon, land and sea, mountain and valley
• City and country, ocean and desert
• Puppy and old dog, seed and tree, caterpillar and butterfly (changes rather than true opposites, but they work well)
• Silence and noise, whisper and shout
• Work and play, school and vacation
• Question and answer, beginning and end
• Friend and stranger, tortoise and hare
• Fire and ice, storm and calm

Diamante poems as a grammar lesson

Because every line asks for a certain kind of word, the diamante is a quick check that students can tell a noun from an adjective and a verb. The -ing words on lines 3 and 5 are present participles: verb forms that act as describing words here. Ask students to label each line before they share their poem, or give them a jumbled word bank and have them sort it into the diamond.

Common diamante mistakes

• Putting the wrong part of speech on a line, such as an adjective (happy) on line 3, where an -ing verb belongs.
• Turning too early. The shift belongs in the middle of line 4, not on line 3.
• Choosing nouns that are not really opposites in an antonym diamante, such as cat and tree.
• Repeating the same word in both halves of the poem.
• Forgetting to center the lines, which hides the diamond shape.
• Punctuating inconsistently. Most diamantes put commas between words on the same line and leave the ends of lines bare.

Diamante, cinquain or haiku?

If your students have already written word-count cinquains, they know most of what a diamante needs. For more poetry forms and a full drafting process, see how to write a poem.